Morphing
by softnerd
Summary: Remus never returned to his wife, Tonks. Now, sixteen years later, he's back at Hogwarts as a re-hired professor, and finds some familiar faces awaiting him. Including the one he's never seen- the face of his child. His son, Teddy Remus Tonks.
1. Tonks

Remus John Lupin had not seen his wife in sixteen years.

He'd been terrified at the prospect of his child turning out as miserable as him, and out of some strange notion that leaving would fix everything, he'd left his wife.

About one year after he'd left his wife, he wasn't so shocked to find an owl perched on the window sill of the hotel room he'd been residing in. Attached to said owl's leg had been divorce papers. It pained Remus deeply to find the messy signature of his beloved wife- or ex-wife- Nymphadora Tonks already there. He'd signed it, feeling he owed at least that to Tonks. Leaving her four months pregnant with his child and not leaving as much as a note on the fridge, the least he could do is sign the damn papers. And so, Remus signed, and he hadn't heard from her since then. Nor had he ever even learned his child's name.

Now the werewolf was currently staring out the window of Hogwarts Express, headed to his newly re-achieved job as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. For once glad to see the moon, He was sharing his compartment with several young third years, two of which- much to his annoyance, and to the other children's- were now seemingly attempting to swallow each other. Imagine their surprise when they find out they were snogging in front of their teacher.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the train screeched to a stop, and the young wizards began to pile out. Remus couldn't resist the temptation to look around and see who he may recognize; he knew Harry's oldest son, James Sirius, wouldn't be attending Hogwarts for another two years. As for Remus's own child, he knew nothing of it. He was ashamed he had to call his only child an "it" since he'd never learned whether or not the child was a boy or girl. Harry had never told him, saying several times, rather angrily, "Find out for yourself".

Remus didn't know if his child would be here, he wasn't sure if he hoped it- oh there's that 'it' again- would be here, could he handle his child's hatred? Surely the child would hate him, after all,_ it_ would be sixteen by now. Most teenagers hate their father's without them ever walking out on their mother's.

"Ah, Remus!" He was suddenly pounded on the back, causing him to loose his footing and stagger forward.

"Hagrid, nice to see you again." Remus coughed, trying to steady his breath.

"C'mon, then, get ya' out of 'ere and inside, eh?" Remus nodded, gratefully, and followed behind Hagrid up to the school.

Once inside, everyone was quickly brought into the dining hall after their luggage had been dropped off into their rooms. The dinner was a blur of faces, some faces he knew or recognized; Neville Longbottom, the awkward, jittery boy had truly become a very impressive man. Hagrid had happily introduced him to several of the new Weasley children; Fred and Roxanne. Remus could barely process the fact that young Fred Weasley was now dead. The two children seemed ridiculously uncomfortable around him when they talked briefly to him, Roxanne being polite but looking around at everything in some hope of finding something to get her out of the situation. Fred just flat out didn't like him. Other Weasley's were attending the school, though they seemed conveniently missing at the moment.

Remus stood up and waved to the children as he was introduced by McGonagall, they clapped politely but some children whispered amongst themselves as they heard his name. No doubt they'd heard their stories about him. The werewolf who ran out on his pregnant wife and their baby. He was about to sit down when, one of the teachers who he didn't recognize, barked out at one of the students who was laughing- or arguing- with one of his friends.  
"You there!" The boy turned, he looked disturbingly familiar. His hair was dark red and his eyes were bright blue, his laughing face fading into a confused one, the teacher nodded, "Yes, you! The young man next to Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom." _Ah, yes, _Remus though, _Another Weasley. It would make sense. _But Remus nearly spit out the contents of his drink as the boy's features shifted, and suddenly the red headed boy's physique had drastically changed. His cropped bright red hair had grown out to his shoulders and, to Remus' shock, his hair color was now a vibrant blue. Remus examined his features, his lanky form, his unkept hair, and came to a realization,  
"Me?" The boy called out,

"Yes! Mr. Tonks!" Remus had a coughing fit,

_Tonks?_

_

* * *

_

ZOMG- ha okay in this fic only the following gen 2 kids are in school:

George & Angelina= Fred & Roxanne- both Gryffindore and both second year

Victoire & Bill= Victoire (4th year- 15)- Gryffindore & Louis- 1st year- ravenclaw  
Tonks & Remus= Teddy (5th year- 16)

Neville & Hannah= Frank (3rd year- 13), Alice & Jamie- alice and jamie are both girls and my o/cs who are in their first years

Harry & Ginny= at this point all the kids are under 11


	2. Regrets

**_Regrets_**

_ Tonks? _ Remus tried to steady his breathing. It was so possible, in fact it was far fetched this boy- this _Tonks- _was not _his _boy. A son.

_I have a son, _Remus realized joyfully, _And he's nearly sixteen years old..._Remus' joy was overshadowed immediately by guilt. _He must hate me...I'd hate me, if I were in his situation.  
_ Headmistress McGonagall seemed to be able to tell what Remus was thinking and glanced at him with sympathy lingering in her gaze- or was that disappointment? Remus managed to force himself to look back to the blue haired boy, now being scolded along with his friends by the unfamiliar professor. The boy begrudgingly muttered an apology with his friends and the students began to eat their meals.

Remus dared to quietly stand up and shuffle over to where McGonagall sat and crouched down and managed to force out hoarsely,

"My boy?" The elderly Gryffindor sighed and she nodded,  
"Yes, Mr. Lupin. Ted Tonks." _He should be Ted Lupin! _Remus internally protested, _Not that I deserve it..._

Remus tried to thank McGonagall, but it seemed his voice no longer was working and he just nodded in gratitude and walked out of the dining hall.

The moment he closed the doors behind him, he slid down against the wall, burying his face in his hands and tugging at his hair slightly.

"What have I done?" Remus rasped. He heard a voice to his right, and saw the boy- _his boy, _Teddy, walking beside George's oldest son, Fred Weasley.

Teddy and Fred were laughing. Ted seemed to be entertaining himself and Fred by mixing his hair color from blue, to purple, to green in a hypnotic tie-dye swirl dancing in his shaggy locks. Remus shot up from his perch on the ground, and stepped out in front of Teddy before he could walk away. His friend shot him a look and continued on, slightly nervous.

Remus fondly took notice of the red and gold tie Gryffindor loosely hanging around Ted's neck, and saw a suspicious...map looking thing stuffed in the pocket of his robes.

_Marvelous. _Remus thought grimly, as he realized his son possessed the Marauder's map. A wave of grief washed over him when he realized of all the Marauders- Remus was the last on alive, and he'd made a complete mess of his life.

"C'mon, Teddy!" Fred called, walking ahead further.

Teddy gave Remus a curious look and stepped away from him, continuing forward whilst whistling. Remus blinked,  
"Teddy!" Teddy turned around, an eyebrow quirked.

"Ted." He corrected, his hair color settling to a solid shade of blue. Remus blinked,  
"I'm sorry?"

"I'm _Ted. _Ted Tonks." Remus nodded,

"Oh, sorry, just that I heard your friend call you Teddy, so-"  
"He's my _friend_. Not only that- he's a _family _friend. He's aloud to call me that." Teddy interrupted. Remus nodded briskly, and opened his mouth but was cut off by a call of,  
"Teddy!" Remus turned around to see an absolutely beautiful freckled Gryffindor girl waving at Ted. Her strawberry blonde locks hung effortlessly to her back, with a pink Weasley sweater with a sewn 'V' in the center. Teddy smiled and waved back, blushing. His hair did as well, gradually flushing from blue to bright pink.

"One sec, Tori!" Ted called, then he turned back to Remus and his hair dulled and his smile fell off his face. Ted rudely rolled his eyes and Remus realized he was waiting for him to say something,

"So...do you know who I am?" Remus inquired, timidly. Ted sighed with exasperation lingering on his tongue,  
"Yeah, you're the werewolf professor who ditched his wife an' kid, am I right?" Remus grimaced and felt a pain shoot through him as Ted's hair faded into an angry, vibrant red. It reminded him of Tonks. Remus sighed, rubbing his forehead with anxiety.

"Teddy-" He began,

_"Ted." _The metamorphagus corrected, irritably.

"Right, er, _Ted. _I am...I am so, so, sorry-" Again he was cut off by his son.  
"Watcha' apologizing to me for? Go find your woman, Romulus." Teddy said, pointing behind him as if his mother were there.

"Remus." Remus corrected instinctively. Teddy blinked with surprise at the name, but it was too quick for Remus to decipher.

"Huh..." Ted murmured, but shook it off, "Oh, whatever. Quit bugging me, I already got chewed out enough by Professor Silvia. I'm sorry for goofing off with Tori and Franklin, 'kay? Can I go now, Professor Lupis?"  
"Lupin." Remus corrected again, "And- wait. You think _thats _what I want to talk to you about?" _He doesn't know I'm his father. _Remus realized, _How could Dora never even tell him that? _

"Well, what else is there? I haven't done any other shenanigans lately. Perhaps you've confused me with Fred or Roxy Weasley, eh?" Teddy sarcastically asked, crossing his arms and shooting Remus a look. Ted looked far too much like his mother in that moment. Remus stuttered slightly, caught off guard.  
"Uh, just...run along and stay out of trouble Mr. ...Tonks." _Lupin! You should be Lupin! You should be my boy! I...never should have left. _Remus realized, as Ted strode past him. Remus watched, with a pain in his chest as Teddy ran up to the strawberry blonde and planted a firm kiss on her cheek. She giggled and pushed him away. Teddy stumbled and tripped over his feet with a joking whine of,  
"Vic_toire!" _And got back up, immediately slinging his arm around her shoulders as they walked away towards Franklin and Fred.

_He's a young man in love. Not a child- I'm too late for that. _Remus smiled sadly as Teddy laughed, his hair turning his mother's favorite color- pink.

_I never should have left. _


End file.
